Cutters splice together the dead's memories for viewing at their funerals which have been recorded by the Zoe implants. They work under three specific rules. Alan Hakman (Robin Williams) is a dedicated cutter whose latest controversial job is connected to a childhood trauma which still haunts him.
This undercooked sci-fi premise is not thought out completely. The basic idea has obvious corruption possibilities. It's hard to imagine people doing this without self-control unless it's compulsory. Somebody just needs to ask a few more questions before the premise gets used. It's what I call high school sci-fi writing. The religious opposition is too easy in a way. Wiping your glasses is too general to be specific like that. I wipe my glasses like that. All of that is excusable. Sci-fi can use simplistic ideas to great effect. The bigger sin is its slow first half. I do like that the movie is showing us this world but it's slow visually. His job is basically sitting, interviewing, and watching video. It's not a kinetic job. While everybody else is driven by bigger issues, he's driven by an interior personal issue. It does try to get into some interesting ideas but it feels ham-fisted. It can never feel real. The attempt is interesting but the execution is lacking.
This undercooked sci-fi premise is not thought out completely. The basic idea has obvious corruption possibilities. It's hard to imagine people doing this without self-control unless it's compulsory. Somebody just needs to ask a few more questions before the premise gets used. It's what I call high school sci-fi writing. The religious opposition is too easy in a way. Wiping your glasses is too general to be specific like that. I wipe my glasses like that. All of that is excusable. Sci-fi can use simplistic ideas to great effect. The bigger sin is its slow first half. I do like that the movie is showing us this world but it's slow visually. His job is basically sitting, interviewing, and watching video. It's not a kinetic job. While everybody else is driven by bigger issues, he's driven by an interior personal issue. It does try to get into some interesting ideas but it feels ham-fisted. It can never feel real. The attempt is interesting but the execution is lacking.